Since 2022, Kejriwal and his allies have been accused by the BJP of promoting liquor licenses and receiving kickbacks from distributors within the capital. India’s Enforcement Directorate, which investigates cash laundering, has alleged it has proof that Kejriwal’s get together obtained thousands and thousands from a liquor group.
Whereas Kejriwal’s function and culpability within the affair stays unclear — Kejriwal has denied wrongdoing — opposition events in latest months have more and more accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP of unfairly utilizing federal investigative businesses to systematically strain political rivals — or jail them outright forward of essential nationwide elections that start April 19. Other than Kejriwal, three different leaders in his get together, seen as a potent future challenger to the BJP in nationwide politics, have been jailed up to now 12 months within the liquor case.
The Indian Nationwide Congress, one other opposition get together, has equally accused the BJP of utilizing tax businesses to cripple its operations forward of upcoming elections. On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi, a Congress chief, instructed a information convention that his get together has not been in a position to entry any funds for the previous month, or “even purchase a rail ticket,” as a result of its financial institution accounts have been frozen by the federal government as a part of a years-old tax case.
After information of Kejriwal’s arrest broke, Gandhi condemned the federal government’s transfer as autocratic.
Kejriwal’s AAP mentioned late Thursday that it could problem his arrest within the Supreme Court docket as his supporters flocked to his Delhi residence, blocked roads, and sometimes tussled with police. Talking to tv reporters exterior his house, Kejriwal’s get together colleagues mentioned the Enforcement Directorate’s investigation was a ploy by Modi to stop Kejriwal from campaigning within the upcoming election.
“It’s clear to everybody who’s afraid of a loss within the upcoming election,” AAP official Somnath Bharti instructed reporters. “Is that this free and truthful? Opposition leaders are being imprisoned, financial institution accounts of opposition events are being frozen.”
BJP officers, in the meantime, doubled down on their accusations of Kejriwal’s alleged corruption and referred to as the arrest justified.
Whereas the BJP is considered as the most well-liked in India and Modi is extensively anticipated to win a 3rd time period within the upcoming polls, his Hindu nationalist get together’s monopoly over the state equipment and its outsized dominance in marketing campaign financing has raised intense public debate concerning the equity and vigor of Indian elections.
This month, a landmark Indian Supreme Court docket judgement compelled the federal government to disclose detailed data about an opaque marketing campaign financing scheme that allowed Indian corporations to present limitless and nameless marketing campaign contributions. The information confirmed that the BJP had obtained greater than half of the roughly $2 billion in donations made by corporations since 2018 — or greater than what 20 different events mixed obtained — main some within the opposition to cry foul.
Anant Gupta contributed to this report.